In general, a laundry machine refers to an apparatus that may perform washing and/or drying of clothes and the like. Here, a single laundry machine may perform only washing or drying, or may perform both washing and drying. In addition, in recent years, laundry machines, which include a steam supply device and function to refresh clothes and the like for removal of wrinkles, deodorization, elimination of static cling and the like, have become popular.
Meanwhile, conventional laundry machines are divided into a front loading type or a top loading type according to a withdrawal direction of clothes. In addition, there is a vertical shaft type in which a pulsator or a wash tub is rotated, or a horizontal type in which a drum is rotated, according to a washing method. A representative example of the horizontal type is a drum washing machine or a drum drying machine.
Usually, a laundry machine includes a control panel provided for interfacing with a user. A user inputs or acquires information to or from the laundry machine via the control panel. The control panel is generally provided with a course selection part to select a course and an option selection part to select an option.
In one type of laundry machine having both washing and drying functions (hereinafter referred to as a “combo washing machine” for convenience of description), washing may be a main function and drying may be an auxiliary function. Hence, the combo washing machine is provided with various types of washing courses, and any one of the washing courses may be selected via the course selection part. In addition, drying may be selected via the option selection part.
Herein, a course refers to a course programmed to complete clothes treatment via sequential and automated implementation of a plurality of cycles (strokes). A general washing course is programmed to complete washing by sequentially performing a washing cycle, a rinsing cycle after completion of the washing cycle and a dehydration cycle after completion of the rinsing cycle. Completely washed clothes are generally subjected to natural drying. Of course, in the combo washing machine capable of implementing drying, forced drying may be performed as a drying option is additionally selected after completion of washing. Since drying is generally not a main function even in the combo washing machine, drying may not be performed as a course, but be performed via selection of an option.
There are various washing courses according to the kind of laundry and the like, and the respective washing courses may be programmed with different parameters.
A temperature of wash water, a drum's RPM upon dehydration, a washing time, a drum's RPM upon washing and the like may mean parameters of cycles constituting a washing course, and these parameters may be changed or corrected via selection of options. For example, when a specific washing course having specific parameters is selected, a washing course changed or corrected via selection of options may be performed.
However, such selection of options requires further user labor although it provides various courses.
In a conventional combo washing machine, when a user wishes to perform drying as well as washing of clothes, the user has to inconveniently select a drying option after implementation of a washing course ends. Of course, to enable automated implementation of washing and drying, a washing course and a drying option may be selected together to cause sequential implementation of washing and drying. However, in this case, there is a great amount of information to be input by the user, which causes difficult and inconvenient use.
Meanwhile, the conventional combo washing machine causes seriously wrinkled laundry when washing and drying are completed or when only drying is completed. Therefore, to remove wrinkles and odor remaining on dried clothes, it is necessary to additionally select a refreshing option to refresh the clothes. That is, many selections including selection of a washing course, selection of a drying option and selection of a refreshing option are required.
For example, a dress shirt that is worn one time may be saturated with slight pollution and odor. In addition, the dress shirt may be wrinkled. In recent years, a refreshing course or option to refresh, e.g., a shirt that is worn one time using steam, hot air or cold air may be used without washing of the shirt. However, using only the refreshing course causes limited washing effects.
In addition, clothes formed of an easily damageable delicate material, such as a dress shirt, have a high risk of damage and may confuse the user when refreshing is additionally performed after completion of washing and drying.
To prevent damage to the clothes as described above, the user has to inconveniently adjust some options, such as a temperature of wash water and a temperature of hot air upon each of a washing course step, a drying step and a refreshing step.
In addition, an ordinary user has difficulty in knowing a reference value to balance removal of wrinkles with a drying degree, which makes it impossible to effectively remove wrinkles or causes the user to be unable to wear clothes because the clothes are not yet dried.